Pageant winners bay for promoter’s blood

WINNERS at the inaugural Miss Mabvuku-Tafara beauty pegeant held in December at Talent Village in Harare have accused the organiser — Kudakwashe Manyore of Pembera Events — of reneging on his promise to award them prizes for their efforts.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

Rhoda Dapi snatched the crown with Samantha Makufa and Adelaide Tinotenda Chiutsi taking the first and second princess positions respectively.
Some of the participants at the beauty contest claimed they had been promised certificates, a monetary prize, free medical aid at Pacific Hospital and professional modelling training vouchers, but none of the promises had materialised.

Top model Tumelo Nare, who was the models’ chaperon at the event, accused Manyore of unprofessionalism.

“This guy is just a bogus someone masquerading as a promoter duping unsuspecting aspiring models. He is a serial liar, I am yet to get my money as agreed,” she said.

Manyore, however, told NewsDay that his hands were clean because he had not promised any prizes apart from certificates, while the vouchers were provided by a sponsor.

“Initially, we had verbal agreements that the models will get certificates. However, our sponsors went on to give the winners vouchers, so they could go and redeem their prizes,” he said.

Manyore added that he has been trying to help the models redeem the vouchers, but they were impatient.

“They want to sell the vouchers and the only person who can confirm that is the person who gave them those vouchers,” he said.

The models, however, claimed they had signed written contracts which were then taken back by the organiser under the ruse that he wanted to have them photocopied, but they were never returned to them.

It has also emerged that some entertainers and photographers were also not paid their dues.

The photographers, who were contracted for photoshooting during rehearsals ahead of the grand finale, are holding on to the models’ pictures until their bills are paid.

The pageant was meant to promote and empower the girl child and support the talents in Mabvuku and Tafara suburbs.